Liquid food packaging systems are well known in the art. Such systems are used, for example, for filling liquid food packages, such as milk cartons, juice boxes and the like.
Generally, a liquid food packaging system includes a liquid reservoir or tank for bulk storage of the liquid food, and liquid transfer means for transferring the bulk liquid to individual packages. In a typical arrangement, the liquid transfer means includes a series of metering pumps, liquid conduits and valves to supply the liquid food to a filling station. The filling station includes a delivery or filling nozzle. The filling nozzle introduces the liquid into the individual packages.
The nature of the food packaging industry requires that packaging systems are maintained at high levels of cleanliness. As such, it is important that the components of such systems are configured for relative ease of maintenance and periodic cleaning. It is thus desirable to have the food contacting or food bearing components readily disassemblable and the food contacting surfaces accessible for cleaning and maintenance.
It is also important to maintain close tolerances between the surfaces of components. Close tolerances prevent liquid food product from entering spaces not designed for food product carriage. In addition, the close tolerances prevent contamination of the food product from contaminants which may exist on the non-food bearing components and surfaces.
In one known system, the filling nozzle is formed of a soft, flexible, polymeric material, such as a medical or food grade, silicone based polymer. The nozzle has a mounting portion and a nozzle portion. The mounting portion has a circular cross-section. The nozzle portion includes a plurality of axial and angled, generally axially extending creases which define a plurality of gore-like panels in the nozzle. When in the closed position, the gore-like panels form a generally cruciform-shaped configuration. In the open position, the nozzle portion has a square cross-section which is adapted to fit into the top of a square cross-sectional shaped container, such as a milk carton.
The nozzle is secured to the filling apparatus by inner and outer filling tubes which are enclosed within a cleaning box. The tubes are slidably engageable relative to one another. The inner filling tube includes a flared portion having a circumferential channel formed therein at the end of the filling tube to which the nozzle is mounted. The nozzle includes an inwardly extending, circumferentially oriented locking lip which is adapted to fit into the channel. With the locking lip in place in the channel, the outer tube is slid or urged upward, over the nozzle, to secure the nozzle between the filling tubes.
There are a number of drawbacks to this type of arrangement. First, the mounting arrangement of the filling tubes within the cleaning box requires that both the outer and inner filling tubes be removed from the filling apparatus to remove the nozzle. Disassembly of the apparatus adds expense in that significant time and effort are required to disassemble the apparatus and remove the nozzle. Given that the nozzles are removed for cleaning and replacement on a prescribed schedule or as maintenance requires, the increased time required to remove the nozzle can result in considerable expense and down time of the filling apparatus.
Another drawback is that the known mount configuration provides less than optimal means to retain the inner and outer filling tubes concentric relative to each other. Due to the nature of the filling nozzle material and the relative flexibility thereof, the nozzle shape may become irregular due to forces that are exerted on the nozzle by the filling tubes. In particular, eccentricity of the inner and outer filling tubes may cause the nozzle shape to become irregular which in turn may result in less than complete closure of the nozzle. Therefore, it is highly desirable to retain the inner and outer nozzles concentric relative to each other.
Last, the known mounting configuration, while adequate to retain a filling nozzle in place in the filling apparatus, does not augment the quick-close function of the nozzle. The nozzles are designed and configured to close quickly upon termination of the flow of food product. Closure of the nozzle is desired to prevent spillage or wastage of the food product.
The known mounting configuration inhibits rather than fosters this quick-close feature of the nozzle. Forces which are exerted on the nozzle by the mating of the inner and outer filling tubes create a moment which urges the nozzle into the open position. Thus, the tubes exert forces on the nozzle which act against the natural tendency of the nozzle to close.
Accordingly, there continues to be a need for a sanitary filling nozzle mount which has a quick connect-disconnect configuration that minimizes the time and effort required to remove and install the filling nozzle.
Such a mount should retain the inner and outer filling tubes concentric with one another to retain the nozzle in its predetermined shape or profile. Preferably, such a mount enhances the quick closure feature of the filling nozzle by exerting a force on the nozzle which creates a moment that urges the nozzle to the closed position.